Electron microscopy was used to map the initiation site of ors 8 DNA replication in vitro in a system that is capable of initiating and supporting one round of semiconservative replication of cloned mammalian DNA origin-enriched sequences (ors). Using unique restriction sites in ors 8 plasmid DNA, we have mapped the replication bubble within the monkey DNA sequence. In addition to site-specific initiation within the ors, the results also indicate bidirectional replication.